Published by Severn House September 2000
ISBN 0-7278-5562-X
Briony Eastwood, whilst still trying to come to terms with the death by drowning of her husband Charlie, to support herself, until Charlie's body turns up, takes a series of short term contracts as a cook-cum-housekeeper.
When the agency offers a three month contract at a Sussex country house, the home of the TV personality Cary Barnes and his beautiful actress wife Roz de Taffort, Briony sees a glamourous time ahead of her.
Wrong, Briony finds herself plunged into a dysfunctional household. Roz is semi-retired owing to penchant for the bottle, Miranda is overly possessive of her younger sister, the previous au pair has disappeared and Cary Barnes is apparently receiving hate mail. That's just the family, the temporary Nanny and the head gardener both seem to have their own agenda.
This was a great find and a new author for me, although, it appears that she has written four earlier books. I enjoyed the writing and found Briony not unlike Alex Tanner, protagonist in the Anabel Donald series. I also enjoyed 'Archie', the dog Briony has inherited from her Mother, who recently passed on and left her money to a home for retired horses. Archie likes women and children, hates men in trainers and has no compunction about biting the ankles of the aforesaid.
At the Hallowe'en party organised by Miranda whilst a boisterous game of strip leapfrog is played around the bonfire, Archie goes missing. When Briony finally locates him she also finds a dead body.
The mystery was good and I devoured this book in one sitting. I found Briony a great character and enjoyed her caustic one-liners. A thoroughly enjoyable read.
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Lizzie Hayes
27 August 2000
Vivien Armstrong is the author of Close Call, Dead in the Water, Fool’s Gold,
Fly in Amber and The Wrong Road